Rapid strep test cost in Worcester, MA
In Worcester, MA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for rapid strep A antigen test from a throat swab, read visually: from $70.00 to $149.00, with a median of $89.25. The lowest listed price is at UMass Memorial Health - Harrington Hospital — $19.25 less than the median here. Across Massachusetts, the median is $64.37 at 19 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 4 cities for code 87880, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 26, 2026 and Apr 3, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Worcester, MA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UMass Memorial Health - Harrington Hospital lowest Southbridge, MA · (508) 765-9771 HC Infectious Agent Detection by Immunoassay With Direct Optical Observation; Streptococcus, Group A | $70.00 | $70.00 | — | — | Apr 3, 2026 source file |
| UMass Memorial Health - Harrington Hospital Southbridge, MA · (508) 765-9771 Strep a Assay W/Optic | $89.25 | $89.25 | — | — | Apr 3, 2026 source file |
| HealthAlliance - Clinton Hospital Leominster, MA · (978) 466-2000 Strep a Assay W/Optic | $89.25 | $89.25 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| UMass Memorial Medical Center Worcester, MA · (508) 334-1000 Strep a Assay W/Optic | $89.25 | $89.25 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| Milford Regional Medical Center Milford, MA · (508) 473-1190 Strep a assay w/optic | $149.00 | $149.00 | $16.53–$199.69 | — | — source file |
| Milford Regional Medical Center Milford, MA · (508) 473-1190 Throat Screen Strep A | $149.00 | $149.00 | $149.00 | — | — source file |
| UMass Memorial Medical Center Worcester, MA · (508) 334-1000 HC Infectious Agent Detection by Immunoassay With Direct Optical Observation; Streptococcus, Group A | $161.00 | $161.00 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| HealthAlliance - Clinton Hospital Leominster, MA · (978) 466-2000 HC Infectious Agent Detection by Immunoassay With Direct Optical Observation; Streptococcus, Group A | $189.00 | $189.00 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $70.00, median $89.25, highest $149.00 — a 2.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $89.25. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
A rapid strep test checks a throat swab for group A strep bacteria, the cause of strep throat, and gives a result in minutes. It helps the clinician decide whether antibiotics are needed.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the rapid test only. The visit is billed separately, and a backup throat culture, if done, has its own charge.